Eat Your Wellness: Easy, Healthy Pancakes

FYI... Today is National Pancake Day! Now, before you go making plans at IHOP to eat stacks of ooey gooey pancakes made with ingredients you know nothing about, take a look at this recipe. First off, it's SO quick! The kind of thing you can prep and cook when you need food NOW. Second, there are minimal ingredients, [4 to be exact], that are all healthy for you. Last, and probably most important, aside from the plates you eat these babies off from, you've only got 3 things to clean: a Nutribullet cup & blade, a pan, and a spatula. Check out the 4 ingredients below.

Yummmmmm!

Ingredients:

1. Oats
2. Eggs
3. Water or Milk (Almond, Coconut, or Dairy if you prefer)
4. Cinnamon
5. OPTIONAL: I also throw in Flax Seeds to make my pancakes more nutrient dense

Directions:

• Heat your pan to medium heat, then throw a dab of coconut oil, [or any oil you prefer!] in.
• Grab your smaller-sized Nutribullet cup & dump your oats in there.
• Every 1/4 of the cup you fill = about 4 small pancakes or 2 large pancakes.
• Throw in 1-2 tsp of cinnamon with your oats.
• Add you Flax Seeds if you want to use them.
• Screw on the blade, then mix it for 5-10sec to mull the oats into a flour.

• Add a single egg if you're cooking 2-4 large pancakes/4-8 small. Or add 2 eggs if you're making more.
• Pour in your milk until you've matched 1/2 of the amount of flour in the cup.

• Throw the blade back on & mix for about 10sec until the mix turns to a batter.
• If it's too thin, no stress! The oat flour, just like oats, will absorb the liquid. So you can wait a few minutes until the batter is the consistency you prefer.
• All that is super quick, so be sure your pan is actually heated.
• Once the pan is hot enough, pour the batter right from the cup and into the pan.

TOO easy, right?!

And that's really it! I know you know how to take it from there. Make the pancakes your desired size, dress them with the toppings you enjoy, [personally, I love bananas, walnuts & maple syrup!], and have a happy National Pancake Day, guilt, [& mess], free!

How did your 1st attempt at these go?! Snap a pic & show me on FB/IG/TW @cassiebstrong!

B Well & Happy National Pancake Day!

Cassie B.

Eat Your Wellness: [RECIPE] Creamless New England Shrimp Chowder

I got a Dutch Oven from my Grandmother for Christmas and to say I love it would be an understatement! This sucker is a life saver... well, it's really a time saver, which, to me, is everythinggg!!

With it being winter, and me being a curry lover, I searched for curry recipes online and found one for Curried Cauliflower Soup - what? OK! And that's the thing... I made it, and it was just OK... I felt like I was eating a cream soup, like spoonfuls of New England Clam Chowder minus the clams and potatoes and all the chunks of flavor we love it for. That's when the lightbulb went off... I'll make a mock chowder! So I did. And it was bomb. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 3 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 cup organic coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 2 cups of (thawed) shrimp, cut into small chunks

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375 F
• Spread chopped cauliflower & onion over baking sheet, drizzle in Olive Oil, (I used a chili infused olive oil for extra heat), then sprinkle with a little bit of salt.

• Roast these veggies in the oven for about 20 minutes. When you see the Cauliflower start to brown, they're done.
• While they're roasting, mix the veggie broth, coconut milk, & spices, then throw them into the dutch oven.

• When the cauliflower and onions are finished roasting, add them to the dutch oven, then bring it all to a boil.
• Let it boil 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

• As it cools, boil your carrots & potatoes to preferred softness.
• While they boil, chop up your shrimp into preferred bite size.
• When carrots & potatoes finish, chop them into preferred bite size.

• Hopefully now your soup will have cooled enough. Time to blend it into a paste, (I used my Nutribullet!).
• Dump the curried cauliflower paste back into the dutch oven, add the shrimp, carrots & potatoes, season with black pepper to taste, (and maybe warm it up a little again if it's cooled off too much).
• Serve & enjoy!

Momma B: 4 Habits to Reduce Sugar Intake

How much sugar are you actually eating each day?

Have you ever taken the time to tally up the amount of sugar you eat in a day? I guarantee you will be shocked.

We all eat too much sugar! Even when I was reading labels to ensure I was eating five ingredients or less I was eating too much sugar! The recommended daily allowance for sugar is 25 grams. That is only 6 teaspoons, and it adds up fast. If you drink a small Dunkin Donuts Strawberry Coolatta in the morning on the way to work, you have already taken in more than your daily allowance. That drink alone has 58 grams of sugar! A small French Vanilla Ice Coffee has 24 grams of sugar. Those are examples of beverages we often drink along with our meals. Imagine, between the drink and food, how much sugar you consume in a single meal... It's no wonder we can't lose weight, right?! Sugar isn't merely keeping us fat though, it also plays a large role in the development of many devastating illnesses like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and many more.

Our bodies do require trace, (small), amounts of sugar to function properly, but the average American is consuming close to 130lbs a year of sugar a year! That certainly isn't a small amount. It's time to be more mindful of the sugar in our diet. Here are a few tips to reduce your sugar intake:

• Eat regular meals. Do not skip breakfast! Start your day eating proteins and vegetables. This will help regulate your blood sugar levels so you'll avoid cravings for sweets throughout the day.
• Eat whole foods. That means food in it's natural form, and, ideally, plant based - lots of fruits and vegetables.
• Move your body! We often reach for sugary treats when we feel low on energy. Find your choice of movement to get endorphins flowing for a natural energy and mood boost. This can help reduce your sugar intake.
• Get your sleep. As I mentioned above, one of the most common triggers for sugar cravings is being overtired. When we are sleep deprived, we reach for sugar to gives us energy. Get yourself on a regular sleep schedule, and be sure you are getting 8-9 hours each night, so that you wake up with ample energy for the day ahead.

Changing any one habit takes time. Focus on one thing from this list at a time to ensure these changes become habits that all contribute to your healthier lifestyle. Be kind to yourself and keep it simple! 

Momma B: 1 Simple Food Swap That Made Me Healthier & Leaner

Up until the past couple years of my life, my motivation to change my diet only came from my desperation to get rid of daily headaches and my desire to lose weight. Looking back, now I realize that when I focused on my weight I didn't eat well. Once I learned that eating the right things, (instead of avoiding the wrong things), helped me avoid headaches and migraines, I made nourishing my body my focus. As a result, I lost weight and discovered real food!

What do I mean by real food? Take my breakfast for example: for years I ate Shredded Wheat. It has less than five ingredients and I could pronounce all the ingredients. Those were rules I had heard often, so I figured I was eating something good for me. Well, there weren't as many bad ingredients in it, but there weren't really any nutrients either - my body was less than impressed. I can't tell you one health benefit you'll experience by eating shredded wheat daily.

Now, I eat Quinoa for breakfast. Quinoa has many nutritional benefits. Did you know it's a relative of spinach?! It's high in protein and full of trace minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, manganese and phosphorus. We all want proper amounts of these nutrients to keep our metabolism in gear, our blood sugar levels in check, and to help our body rebuild and repair our cells as efficiently as possible - to avoid the formation cancerous cells and to keep our skin looking healthy and vibrant!

My favorite way to eat Quinoa is with nuts, maple syrup, coconut flakes and ground flaxseeds. Quinoa is not just for breakfast though! It's commonly eaten in place of rice or pasta. By making this change, and a few other simple swaps, I've lost 12lbs in the last year! Stay tuned to learn about more simple swaps I made to get my healthy back. Make nourishing your body your priority, and the rest will fall into place! 

Eat Your Wellness: Jennifer Hanway's Amazing "Glow Bites"

These gluten and dairy free Glow Bites are not only delicious, but they are chock full of superfoods, packing a nutritious punch in every one. All of the ingredients here are chosen for their beauty boosting benefits - no fillers or sweeteners here!

TigerNut Flour: the number one source of resistant starch, the prebiotic fiber that becomes food for your probiotic fiber. Great skin starts with the gut!

Cacao: with more antioxidants than any other food on earth, this superfood contains compounds that prevent wrinkles, protects skin from UV damage and increases the supply of nutrients, blood and oxygen to the skins surface. Talk about a beauty booster!

Collagen Powder: the protein present in all of the body's organs and tissues, natural collagen production begins to decrease as we age, resulting in a lack of firmness and elasticity in the skin. Supplementing with collagen powder can help restore these youthful qualities, giving you smooth and supple skin.

Avocado: you don't need to use avocado in a face mask for its beauty boosting benefits - it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acid (great for heart health), contains vitamins E and B, and can help detoxify the liver.

Glow Bites are one of the recipes from my upcoming 'Glow for It' online guide to glowing skin, shiny hair and endless energy which will be released in the next few months (stay posted for more details).

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup TigerNut Flour
• 1 scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
• 1 teaspoon cacao powder (with a little extra for dusting)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon collagen powder (omit for vegetarians or vegans)
• 3 tablespoons almond butter (cashew is also a great option)
• 1 ripe avocado

Instructions:

• Combine all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl
• Mash avocado until smooth
• Add avocado and nut butter into the dry ingredients
• Put in a food processor, or mix by hand if you want a good arm workout.
• Roll into small balls (about 1 heaped tablespoon of mixture) and dust with cacao.
• Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until firm.
• Eat! Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days (if you can make them last that long)...

Side Note: My favorite TigerNut Flour is from Organic Gemini, and I swear by Collagen Powder by Great Lakes for cellular repair and renewal. Also, a little cacao power goes a long way, so 8oz is plenty, and I recommend Navitas Naturals Organic Cacao Powder, 8 Ounce Pouch.

To learn more about foods and supplements that will give you clear, glowing skin, strong shiny hair and endless energy I'd love for you to join me at my Real World Wellness: Glow for It workshop in Boston on February 23rd. Click here to book tickets.

Jennifer Hanway is a Holistic Nutrition Coach, Bio Signature Modulation Practitioner and Certified Personal Trainer, originally from London but now living in Newton Centre and working in Back Bay, Boston. To find more of her recipes and expert advice visit her website www.jenniferhanway.com.